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02.221122. POLARIZATION OR SEGUNDARY ELECTRIC BATTRYV Patented J an. 3, 18.82..

wai/6027212 ZIN/6702,55@

,n i ,UNTED STATES PATENT ,OFFICEe i YCAMILLE A.' FAURE, `or* PARIS, FRANCE, Assia-Non To socrErE NoNvME To allwhom itmayconcern:

Be it known that I, CAMILLE A. FAURE, of Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented a certain new vand useful Improvement in Poi tu 5 larization or Secondary Electric Batteries, ot i which improvement, the following specication is a full description.

1 This invention relates to that `class of batteries which give no electricity ot' themselves, `m but which, being included for'a time in circuit with asource of4 electricityan ordinary galvanic battery, for example-absorb electricity, l f l@ so lto say, or become charged, so that they subsequentlylgive out electricity on the comple- 15` tioniot'a proper circuit, and can thus be used like a reservoir ofelectricity.

` `The secondary batteries otMr. Gaston Plante are welll known.. They consist generally ot' leaden `plates or electrodes immersed in an 2o electrolytic liquidcomposed ot'a ten per cent. ,l isolution]ot"` sulphuric` acid in water, the said, l platesor electrodes having their capacity for. accumulating electric energy increased by rendering their surfaces more or less porous i n 25 n throughisuccessive charges and discharges of it `eleetfricitygthis `operation being called by Mr. l 1V Flauti-5:` and generally known `as` the formationnifot; theyplates. n The operation is, howt `ever,long.andexpensive, andthe accumulat- 93o ing or,absorptivecapacity obtained is limited i l z` `not only by the"thieknessof` thevplates, but 1" also by.the"coliering` power of the particles composing theporous layer, so` that as the said n n particles `spontaneouslybecome detached when thelayergreachesla` certain depth, the active layer inpractice quite thin, even where thick n plates arefuserband the industrialapplication "ofthe secondary batteries prevented or much flimitediu consequence. n n In the present invention the difficulties mentionediare.overcomeandfa rapid construction f theelectrodesfwith an unlimited accumulating power is obtained. f The electrodes are i n made, notybytheformation of disintegrated or porouslayerfinthebodyof metallic plates, i but bythe additionor application of la layer of an active materialfmetal, metallic oxide or salt-" whichlayer isor at once becomes porous or spongy, to` suitable plates or supports, which n` may be of` suitable non-metallic substance as `LA FORCE EI LA LUMIERE, `0F BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

i, t PoLARlzATIoN 0R SECONDARY ELECTRIC BATTERY.l

SPECIFICATION `forming part of` Letters Patent No. 252,002, dated January 3, 1852.

` Application filed April 9.0, 1881. (No model.) Patented in France October 20, 1880` well as of metal. This` active material may be applied in various ways, so as to obtain a layer of the desired depth, as in the form of paint, paste, orcement, in the form of a deposit by galvanic action or chemical precipitation, or otherwise. i l

In order to render the active layer more porous, the materia-l composing it has preferably inert material-sucl1,i`or example, as crushed coke-mixed with it. The active layer is re- 6o tainedin position upon the support by means of an open-work, perl'orate, or porous medium n or partition, which, while allowing free perco` lation ot' the electrolytic liquid, prevents the active material from separating either spontaneously or by the-slight jarring to which it is liable to be subjected. The retainingmedium or partition is made of material which is not t liable to be acted upon by the electrolyte usedn for example, ot' felt, cloth, asbestus paper or 7o board, netting of cane, gutta-percha, or caoutchouc, wire-clotlnrot lead or, other suitable metal, porous earthen ware, and thelike. When desired the space between the two plates or electrodes of a'cell can be occupied by porous 75 material, which will retain the active layers of both electrodes in place. n

When the batteries are to be transported the retaining medium or partition is fastened to the support or body of the electrode, so that 8o the active layer will notbe detached, even with considerable handling.` The fastening can be made by rivets, cement, or winding with woolen or cotton yarn, or. otherwise. This portion or i theseportions of the invention-to wit, the retention of the active layer on the electrodes in secondary batteries by meansof an open-work, perforate, or porous medium or partitiomand the secure fastening of thesaid` medium or partitionare applicable i to batteries having 9o i plates formed on the Plante system.

Sleoondaryfbatteries, like ordinary galvanic batteries, can be made with a series ot' cells side by side, or one above the other, with the n intermediate walls common to the two adjacent n ,i ,l

cells. In making such batteries it is advanf,.- tageous, and in some cases essential, to apply n a non-porous partition of rubber or other suitable substanceto the plates, so as to cutoft' all communication between the cells. This loo combination of non-porous diaphragms with the electrodes in' such secondary batteries constitutes a portion ofthe invention.

The invention further comprises a particular form of battery, composed of a series of parallel plates separated from one another by strips of rubber or similar material and clamped together, so as to dispense with a separate containing-vessel, as hereinafter described.

In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, several forms of batteries constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by aid of the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speci tication.

Figures 1 and 2 are views in vertical section of single cells, the cell shown in Fig. 2 being provided with porous mediaI for retaining the active layeron the electrodes, and that in Fig. l being without such media. Figs. 3 and 3bis are views,respectively in vertical cross-section and in end elevation, of a battery formed of a series of plates, without requiring any inclosing-vessel. Figs. .tand 5 are an elevation and cross section, respectively, of an electrode adapted to be rolled into a spiral; and Fig. 6, a cross-section ofan electrode with non-porous partition, having the prepared plates secured on both sides, and adapted for use in a battery with series ot' adjacent cells-such, for example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 3MB.

The cell shownin Fig. l consists `of two parts, A B, formed each of a thin pl-ate ot' lead covered with a porous metallic coating, C, and placed in a rectangular vessel, D, containing an elcctrolytic liquid, F, of, say, sulphuric acid and water. The porous metallic coating may be made of lead, or an oxide or salt of lead applied to the lead plates in any suitable way. ln Fig. 2 a circular cell is shown, one electrode being inclosed in the other. The rod B, of lead or carbon, is placed in a porous vessel, G, and is coated with the active accumulating or absorbing material C, say sulphate of lead mixed thoroughly with coarse coke, sawdust, or other material adapted to make the mass more por ous. The other electrode consists ot' a piece of lead, A, with its inner face covered by a paste or mixture, Z, of sulphate ot' lead and coke or equivalent material, which is held in place bya porous medium or partition, G. A suitable space is left between the partition G and the vessel G for the electrolytic liquid. D is the containing-vessel. 4

The battery shown in Figs. 3 and 3bis has a number of elements connected -in tension. Plates of lead, a, having a surface of, say, a square yard, are placed parallel with strips e, ot' rubber, between every two plates, arranged as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3b, so as to form the bottom and ends of narrow cells, and the said plates are clamped between two outer plates by means of cross-pieces H and bolts. A series ot' cells are thus formed, the bottom and ends being formed bythe strips e and the sides by the plates c. The cells are filled to the desired height with the electrolytic liquid and the wires or conductors are connected with the end plates. The plates a can be coated with an active porous layer in any suitable way, aud the space between the plates can be filled with felt or other inert porous substance, as coke, sand and the like. rIhe edges of the plates are insulated by painting with shell-ac (gum lac) or otherwise.

rlhe electrode shown in Figs. 4 and 5 consists of a support, a, covered on both sides with a layer ot' lead oxide, c, heldin place by sheets of felt, b,fastened by rivcts,f, ot' lead. Two electrodes such as just described can be rolled together in the form of a spiral, and immersed in an electrolytic liquid in a cylindrical or other suitably-shaped vessel. The part d, covered with gutta-percha in order to resist the action ot' the acid, serves as a conductor for conveying electricity to and from the plate. Strips offgutta-percha, woolen or cotton yarns, or other suitable material should be interposed between the sheets or electrodes to give space for the escape of the gases.

When the supporting plates or bodies are to beplaced either parallel or in any other posimechanical strain, sufficient stiffness may be imparted to the leaden plates or supports by applying them on wood or hard-rubber boards, or any other rigid support. For instance, in the battery with parallel plates (shown in Figs. 3 and 3m) any of the leaden plates would be formed of'two su pcrposed plates,.each of which should be coated and covered as above described, these plates heilig separated by a con- -tion permitting of their being distorted by a v IOO ducting or non-conducting but non-porous board, so as to prevent any liquid passing from one cell to the other. The boards of these compound supports or bodies have edges litted with india-rubber-such as the strips e, shown y. in Figs. 3 and 3MB-in order to render the cells` perfectly liquid-tight, as above explained.

Fig. 6 shows the arrangement. ot' parallely plates formed with an interposed wooden board, This arrangement permits of employing thin sheets of lead, while securing at the same time sufticient stiffness, and affording means of rmly securing the parts x without any leakage between the adjacent cells formed on each side of the leaden plate a. The parts :c may be made of wood, hard rubber, or even metal.

The improved battery constructed as above described although of small size,permits the absorption and storage of a considerable amount of electric energy.

rFhecells or batteries constructed as described are charged by including` them in circuit with a suitable source of electricity, and', when charged, the electric energy stored up is IIO taken off by conductors, as from an ordinary lead on the other. When the battery'is dis-v charged the reduced lead becomes oxidized,

1 and the peroxidized lead is reduced until the equilibrium is restored. W hen again connected with a source of electricity the oxidized lead on one electrode is again reduced and the lead t `on the other is again peroxidized, and the bat- Ntery `becomes charged ready to give out a current when required. .i The oxides or salts of lead not soluble in the electrolytic liquid are ldeemed the most advan- `tageous for covering the supports of the elec i Itrodes. The invention is not, however, liniitedto these, but includes generally substances `capable of absorbing or storing electric energy in the manner described-for example, inanganese or anysalt the oxide of whose base isv Il; insoluble.

Inpreparing the batteries, especially when -fa salt is used, as lead sulphate, it is well to l, charge them twice with currents of opposite i polarity, so as to reduce the salt on both sides.

In `place of using dilute snlphuric acid as l the electrolytic liquid, a solution of an alkaline earthy salt or other salt, or other suitable elec trolytic liquid, can be used.

Having now fully explained my said invenf `tion and the manner ot' carrying the same into z etect, what I claitnisl. As` an improvement 1n secondary batteries, an electrode consisting of a support coated `on one or more faces with an `active layer of absorptive substance-such as metal or met tallic `compound applied thereto in lthe described condition--so as to be or instantly become spongy, and thus capable of receiving electricity, substantially as and for the puri `pose set forth.

2. In a secondary battery, an electrode hav-- ing a plate or support coated with an active porous layer of metal or metallic compound, with inert material-such as crushed cokemixed or incorporated therewith, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the platevor support of an electrode and active spongy layer thereon, an open-work, perforate, or porous medium for holding said layer on the plate or support of the electrode, substantially as described.

4. In a secondary battery, a series of cells, comprising each a pair of electrodes with an acti've spongy layer thereon, combined with non-porous partitions between adjacent cells, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. An electrodefor secondary batteries, comprising a support, an active spongy layer of metallic substance, and a holding mediuml sides of the troughs or cells being formed by the plates, and the latter being clamped firmly, so that liquid-tight joints are formed, substantially as described, the projecting edges ot' the plates, when metallic, being protected by insulation, substantially as described.

CAMILLE ALPHONSE FAURE.A Witnesses:

RoBr. M. Ilooruna,` JEAN BAPTISTE ROLLAND. 

